The Ghost Host is one of the first characters guests to the Mansion meet, so to speak. He remains invisible throughout the tour, guiding "foolish mortals" with an ominous Mid-Atlantic accented voice (provided by Paul Frees). His gleefully sardonic narration often features death-related puns and maniacal laughter. In the Stretching Room scene near the beginning of the tour, it is revealed that he committed suicide by hanging himself from the rafters in the cupola. During Haunted Mansion Holiday, the Ghost Host is voiced by Corey Burton. In the Tokyo Disneyland Haunted Mansion, the character is voiced in Japanese by Teichiro Hori.

A painting of the Ghost Host (based on concept art by Imagineer Marc Davis) can be found in the Corridor of Doors of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion, depicting a tall, thin, ghoulish-looking man with a noose around his neck, giving the evil eye and a sinister grin. He has long, messy white hair, pale blue skin, a hooked nose, and yellow eyeballs. His face bears a resemblance to that of the Old Witch, the "host" of EC Comics' The Haunt of Fear. He is dressed in a green tailcoat with purple or red lapels and cuffs, a purple vest, and blue pinstriped pants. He holds a hatchet in one hand and the severed rope in the other. The portrait has been repainted many times over the years, adding and subtracting details such as scarring around his eye and blood on the hatchet blade. In 2007, the Ghost Host portrait was added to a previously bare wall in the Corridor of Doors of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion. In this version, the shadow he casts behind him raises the hatchet menacingly.

The Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion also has a separate painting of him with a different pose and a more natural flesh color, which was located in the hallway of "staring" portraits until 2007, when it was moved to the Doom Buggy loading area. In the current version of this portrait, he is depicted as having heterochromia (two different colored eyes). Since 2005, in the séance room of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion, his face appears on the wall as one of several faces in a cycle. According to Imagineer Jason Surrell, in both editions of his book The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies, the invisible pianist who casts a shadow in the Music Room (a room in the Walt Disney World and Tokyo versions of the attraction) is the Ghost Host, though this may be a mistake.

Contrary to popular belief, he is not the character Master Gracey. The Ghost Host as Gracey meme was first spread via fan fiction written by Walt Disney World Cast Members that circulated widely online, and eventually made its way into licensed media adaptations, such as the 2003 film and the comics. This was based on the faulty assumption that the Ghost Host is the master of the house, and the "Master Gracey" tombstone, which in actuality was using an entirely different definition of "master." Early versions of the attraction script did attribute the Ghost Host as "the lord and master of this haunted mansion," but it was an aspect of the character that didn't make the final cut. In the second edition of his book, The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies, Imagineer Jason Surrell states that "the Ghost Host is not the master of the house—Gracey or otherwise—but merely one of 999 happy haunts." In press material from around the time of the attraction's opening in 1969, the Ghost Host is referred to as the "majordomo of the Mansion's skeleton staff."

One proposed concept for the Ghost Host was that he and the Raven would turn out to be the same character. This idea eventually changed to the Raven retaining a speaking role, but as a foil to the Ghost Host. In the final attraction, the Raven does not speak, and there is no overt relation to the Ghost Host.

A similar character, known as the Phantom, narrates Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris. He was originally voiced (in English) by horror movie icon Vincent Price, but was replaced by French actor Gérard Chevalier soon after the attraction opened. Price's voice is still used however, for the Phantom's evil laughter. Clips of Paul Frees' Ghost Host are used for the voice of the decapitated mayor seen near the end of the attraction.

In the 1969 record album The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion, the Ghost Host was voiced by Pete Renaday, using an accent and manner of speaking inspired by English actor and horror movie icon Boris Karloff.

The Ghost Host's famous line "Welcome, foolish mortals" was reproduced by Corey Burton in the opening titles of the 2003 film. Rick Baker, who designed the makeup effects for the film, made a cameo appearance as the character (as visualized by Marc Davis) in the graveyard scene, crouching behind a tombstone. In a special feature on the DVD for the film, the Ghost Host was voiced by Tony Jay. The character Master Edward Gracey (Nathaniel Parker) hanged himself in the film's story - a reference to the Ghost Host's suicide in the attraction. In one scene, Ezra (Wallace Shawn) says the Ghost Host's line, "There's always my way."

In the video game, the disembodied voice of the villain Atticus Thorn (voiced by Corey Burton) is heard from time to time, and he uses the phrase "foolish mortal."

Disney cast members play somber house servants who staff the Haunted Mansion. They do not smile and often refer to guests as "bodies." In Ken Anderson's early concepts for the attraction, a butler named Beauregard would serve as tour guide to visitors of the house. In the final attraction, the role of tour guide went to the invisible Ghost Host. The 2003 film features three ghostly house servants: Ramsley the butler (Terence Stamp), Ezra the footman (Wallace Shawn) and Emma the maid (Dina Waters).

Above the fireplace in the foyer of the Walt Disney World and Tokyo Haunted Mansions is a portrait of a former owner of the house. The painting gradually changes from a handsome blue-eyed and black-haired young man to a withered, balding old man and finally, to a decaying skeleton. This portrait can also be found in the changing portrait hallway of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion, but it morphs from the young man to the skeleton with flashes of lightning.

The Aging Man portrait was inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Fans often refer to the Aging Man as Master Gracey, a name on a tombstone in the queue area that honors Imagineer Yale Gracey. However, the attraction's original scriptwriter Xavier Atencio, who wrote the epitaph for the tombstone, did not intend for Master Gracey to be the man in the portrait. The 2003 film and the comics both follow the interpretation of the master of the house being Gracey, and merchandising for Disney Parks has since adopted the popular notion, identifying the Aging Man as Master Gracey on various Haunted Mansion-related items.

In 2012, a wooden crate addressed to "Gracey Manor" (a name for the Mansion that has been used in media adaptations but was originally popularized in fan fiction) was added near the attraction at Walt Disney World. This possibly canonizes the identity of the Aging Man as Master Gracey.

In the 2003 film, Master Edward Gracey has a large portrait of himself above the fireplace in the library. In an early draft of the screenplay, the portrait of Edward became skeletal. Unlike the Aging Man, who died at an old age, Edward died while still a relatively young man, via suicide by hanging (the same applies to Master William Gracey in the comics).

In Disney's Haunted Mansion Pop-Up Book, displayed on the wall behind a coffin (with a restless occupant inside) is a changing portrait of a man who is reduced to a skeleton, implying that he is the one in the coffin.

The following characters are depicted in the portraits of the Stretching Room:

A balding man with a brown mustache and beard, dressed in a black tailcoat, a white shirt, a red sash, and a black bowtie. When the portrait stretches, it is revealed that he is not wearing pants (only red and white striped boxer shorts), and he is standing atop a lit keg of dynamite. In an early attraction script, which gave the names of the characters in the stretching portraits, he was an ambassador named Alexander Nitrokoff, who came to the Mansion one night "with a bang." In the comics, he was a visually impaired man named Steven who was invited to a party at Gracey Manor. Once Steven arrived at the Manor (sans pants), his glasses were flicked off by the Hatbox Ghost. Due to his poor eyesight, he wandered the house completely oblivious to the ghosts, and ended up lighting a keg of dynamite with a candle. The game Epic Mickey features a similar painting of a man standing on a barrel of TNT.

Constance Hatchaway, an old woman holding a rose and smiling. When the portrait stretches, it is revealed that she is seated on top of the tombstone of her late husband, George Hightower, who is depicted as a marble bust with his head split by an ax. The ghost of Constance as a young woman is later seen in the attic. The character was given the name in 2006, but she was originally named Abigale Patecleaver in an early script for the attraction. The game Epic Mickey features a similar painting of a woman sitting atop a tombstone, with the singing busts at the bottom.

A brown-haired man with his arms crossed, dressed in a brown suit and wearing a brown derby hat. When the portrait stretches, it is revealed that he is sitting on the shoulders of another man, who is sitting on the shoulders of another man who is waist-deep in quicksand. In the comics, the three men were gamblers known as Hobbs, Big Hobbs, and Skinny Hobbs. The game Epic Mickey features a similar painting of three men in piranha-infested water.

A pretty young brunette holding a pink parasol. When the portrait stretches, it is revealed that she is balancing on a fraying tightrope above the gaping jaws of an alligator. One of Prudence Pock's rhymes is: "In the swamp, poor Sally Slater was eaten by an alligator," though whether or not this refers to the girl in the stretching portrait is unknown. In the comics, the girl was a witch named Daisy de la Cruz, who turned men into alligators. This was also her name in the 2014 Haunt Your Disney Side event.

Lightning flashes transform these paintings (at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Haunted Mansions) from benign to frightening. The portraits consist of:

A beautiful young princess reclining on a couch who changes into a ferocious werecat. The werecat was originally a panther, but since 2005 has been a white tiger.

A gallant knight (identified as "The Black Prince" in concept art) atop a rearing horse, who both become skeletal. The 2003 film's skeletal man and horse portrait is based on Napoleon rather than Edward, the Black Prince.

A handsome young man who decays into a ghastly corpse. In 2005 at Disneyland, this portrait replaced that of a beautiful young woman transforming into an old hag, often referred to as "April–December" by fans. At Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, the Aging Man portrait can be found above the fireplace in the foyer.

A proud galleon that devolves into a ghost ship, based on a Marc Davis concept for the Flying Dutchman.

Commonly referred to by fans as the "Sinister Eleven," these characters were depicted in portraits lining the walls of a corridor in the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion prior to the 2007 "Re-Haunting." As guests passed the portraits, the subjects' eyes would follow their every move. After the 2007 refurbishment, most of the portraits were relocated to the loading area, sans the "moving eyes" effect. The portraits remain in their original location in the Tokyo Haunted Mansion. Many of them are based on unused changing portrait designs by Marc Davis. The characters consist of:

The Ghost Host—a ghoulish man with a noose around his neck and wielding a hatchet.

A mysterious blonde lady holding a black cat in one hand and a lorgnette in the other—based on concept art for a character that would eventually evolve into the Bride.

A vampire holding a lantern—based on an unused Count Dracula changing portrait concept. On a related note, the Haunted Mansion model kit series from the 1970s featured a vampire who is afraid of the dark and named Morris (possibly a reference to the name Quincey Morris in the Dracula novel).

A villager with a bag over his shoulder—who turned into a werewolf in an unused changing portrait concept. In the background of the portrait is a building set aflame, indicating that the man is an arsonist.

A suspicious-looking wealthy couple—based on an unused changing portrait concept of a wife strangling her husband.

An old hag—from the "April–December" changing portrait.

A portly, mustachioed, knife-wielding man from the 19th century (identified as Jack the Ripper in concept art) with a disturbing smile, dressed in black and wearing a top hat. In the original concept sketch, a human foot is seen sticking out of his pocket. On a related note, Disney's 1976 record album Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House contained a Jack the Ripper-inspired track entitled "Encounter in the Fog."

A large, ominous man with a blonde or white beard and his hands clasped—based on an unused Rasputin changing portrait concept. In the original concept, Rasputin's eyes would grow larger and larger, eventually joining to create one giant eye.

The Witch of Walpurgis—whose head turned from human to goat in an unused changing portrait concept. She holds a black cat and is surrounded by magical items and skulls stabbed with daggers. Wizards and witches are called forth in Madame Leota's séance, suggesting that many witch ghosts inhabit the Mansion. On a related note, Walpurgis Night is when the Night on Bald Mountain sequence in Disney's film Fantasia is set.

Captain Culpepper Clyne—a ghostly fisherman holding a harpoon in the midst of a stormy sea. He is dripping with seaweed and covered in barnacles and starfish. Clyne's body was interred in a brine-filled crypt (the "Sea Captain Sepulcher") seen outside of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion. It is stated in his epitaph that he did not die at sea, but rather "drowned on land while taking a bath." The character's name first appeared in 2011, with the addition of the interactive queue. Previously, he was commonly known as "The Mariner."

In all versions of the attraction, there are marble busts that turn and watch guests' every move. At Disneyland, there are two at the end of the changing portrait hallway. At Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, eight of them can be found in the library. According to the Ghost Host, the library busts represent "the greatest ghostwriters the literary world has ever known."

One bust depicts a glaring, stern-looking older woman. Multiple busts of this character can be found in the Mansions (two at Disneyland, three at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland). In Marc Davis' concept art, she was originally a talking or singing bust named Aunt Lucretia. She may also be the woman in a portrait that depicts a sinister-looking old wealthy couple, who has the same face as the Aunt Lucretia bust in the concept art.

Inspired by Poe's The Raven, this iconic character can be found in many scenes, glaring at visitors with glowing red eyes. The Raven remains silent in all scenes except for near the end, where it caws at guests from a tree branch. In early plans for the attraction, the Raven was to be one of the proposed narrators.

In the 1969 record The Story and Song From The Haunted Mansion, the Raven has a speaking role, and is possessed by "the restless spirit of an old nag," according to the Ghost Host.

The Raven makes a single appearance in the Haunted Mansion Pop-Up Book, and a large black rat with red eyes takes its place as the recurring animal character.

In the 2003 film, much like in the ride, the Raven makes an appearance in several scenes. It is revealed in the commentary that the "Raven" in the film is not actually a raven, but a harmless bird originating from Africa, to compensate for California's law against domesticated birds of prey.

In the center of the Conservatory is a large coffin occupied by a possessed corpse attempting to break out. He calls for help in the voice of a feeble old man, and his skeletal hands can be seen attempting to pry open the nailed-down coffin lid. He is voiced by Xavier Atencio, who wrote the attraction's script. The character's voice was originally recorded by another actor, and sounded more like a monster than an old man. Though this version wasn't used in the attraction, it can be heard in the Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion album.

In the comics, the ghost was the architect Mr. Davis (a tribute to animator Marc Davis) who was hired with his associate, Mr. Coats (a tribute to Disney employee Claude Coats) to build William Gracey's mansion. Coats sets a coffin booby trap for Davis, while Davis arranges for Coats to be lost in the house's labyrinthine corridors. As a result they became Gracey Manor's first two ghosts.

In the Haunted Mansion Pop-Up Book, it is implied that the coffin occupant is the Aging Man, whose portrait is displayed on the wall behind the coffin.

The Conservatory's coffin scene also inspired the mausoleum scene in the 2003 film, where dozens of rotting zombies emerge from their caskets to attack the protagonists.

In the Corridor of Doors, numerous unseen ghosts attempt to reach guests but "they all seem to have trouble getting through" (according to the Ghost Host in a deleted line). Doors bend, breathe, and are pounded upon by spirits trying to open them from the other side. The hallway is decorated with the attraction's iconic demon-faced wallpaper, and there are framed "family photos" of various ghouls and goblins. As many as 9 photos of the infamous Hatbox Ghost adorn the walls of the Walt Disney World corridor. One character, who resembles the Hatbox Ghost and the skeletal hitchhiker, wears a crown. The Ghost Host's portrait hangs at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. At Tokyo Disneyland there are no family photos; instead, there is a large portrait of a man whose face literally pops out of the canvas.

Madame Leota is one of the iconic characters of the ride. She is the spirit of a psychic medium, conducting an otherworldly séance in an attempt to summon spirits and assist them in materializing. Her ghostly head appears within a crystal ball on a table in the middle of her dark chamber, from which she speaks her incantations. Musical instruments and furniture levitate and make noises in response. She was played by Leota Toombs (face) and Eleanor Audley (voice). Before Leota Toombs was chosen for the face of the medium in the crystal ball, Imagineer Harriet Burns was tested for the part. Leota Toombs also played the Ghost Hostess who appears at the end of the attraction, though it is unknown whether or not she and Madame Leota are meant to be the same character.

In 2002, a tombstone for Madame Leota debuted at Walt Disney World's Mansion. The epitaph reads: "Dear sweet Leota, beloved by all. In regions beyond now, but having a ball." The face on the tombstone periodically shifts and opens its eyes. In 2005, a new addition to the séance room—Madame Leota's spell-book (Necronomicon: Book of the Dead)—arrived at the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. The book is opened to page 1313, on which Leota's incantations are listed as "a spell to bring to your eyes and ears one who is bound in limbo" (a reference to the Disney film Blackbeard's Ghost). On page 1312 is a picture of the Grim Reaper holding a scythe, with the same leering face as the Hatbox Ghost and the skeletal hitchhiker. In 2006, Disneyland's Madame Leota was given the ability to float above the table in mid-air, via wires. This effect, along with the spell-book, was installed into the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion during the 2007 Re-Haunting. In the Servants Quarters (Walt Disney World), there is a bell for Madame Leota's Boudoir. Also at Walt Disney World nearby the Mansion in Liberty Square is a merchandise cart themed as Madame Leota's gypsy wagon.

In Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris, Madame Leota was played by Oona Lind. Her incantations are different from those of The Haunted Mansion, and they alternate between English and French.

In the 2003 film, Madame Leota was portrayed by Jennifer Tilly. Leota's chamber in the film resembles the inside of a gypsy tent. The objects in the room levitate, including the chair in which Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) is seated, sending him on a wild ride. Leota helps the Evers family break the curse of Gracey Manor, and apparently joins the family, as she is seen in the backseat of their car with them at the end of the movie.

In the comics, Leota was killed mid-trance by William Gracey, and doesn't realize that she's dead.

In the video game, Leota is one of the spirits who rebel against the main antagonist, Atticus Thorn. She accompanies the protagonist Zeke Halloway on his quest through the Mansion. Early in life, she discovered she had a gift for communicating with the spirit world. One day, the Order of Shadows learned of Leota's talents, and she was tricked into joining them. They told her that they could increase her abilities. Fortunately, she was rescued by monks, and awakened to the Order's true evil nature. From then on, Leota vowed to use her abilities to aid the cause of good, and joined the Brotherhood of Souls. She reveals her story to Zeke that she first came to the mansion in the spring of 1855, which was shortly after the owners first felt the evil presence within the place. While the owners were away, she was ambushed by forces greater than mere evil spirits. In the end, Atticus imprisoned her within the crystal ball which she is in now. She later guides Zeke in pursuing his dreams as a writer.

In the Haunted Mansion level of the Xbox 360 game Kinect Disneyland Adventures, a malevolent Madame Leota (voiced by Suzanne Blakeslee) is encountered upon entering the Mansion, in the Stretching Room. She scolds the player for trespassing and interrupting her "grim incantation." She then curses the player "to regions beyond with no hope of escape." Later, she appears in the séance room. When hit with a beam of light, she screams and disappears, leaving coins.

The video game Epic Mickey has its own version of the character, named Madame Leona, who is the librarian of Lonesome Manor.

In a coloring book based on the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion, Leota is the wife of the owner Mr. Gool.

A fortune teller named Madame Blackheart appears in the book Enter if you Dare!: Scary Tales from the Haunted Mansion. In a macabre twist on the Madame Leota character, Blackheart's severed head is enclosed inside her crystal ball, and her headless body walks the earth. Ezekiel, a sinister old man employed by Madame Blackheart, mentions that the crystal ball is the source of her power.

Following Madame Leota's incantations, numerous spirits materialize in the ballroom, seemingly celebrating a birthday (or "death-day"). The ghost of an elderly woman sits in a rocking chair near the fireplace. On the fireplace mantle sits a portly ghost with his arm wrapped around a familiar bust. On one end of the long dining table sits "Great Caesar's Ghost." At the other end of the table, the red-haired "ghost of honor" blows out the candles on her cake. A 1970s standard operating procedure manual for the Disneyland attraction refers to her as the "Ghostess," who has invited her friends of the spirit world to dance, play, and share her birthday cake. Another "Ghostess" beckons visitors to hurry back at the end of the attraction. Other ghosts in the ballroom include spectral waltzers, a wizened old king, and a dead-drunk ghost passed out under the table. Most of the characters are based on concepts by Marc Davis.

This portly, Victorian era attired ghost can be seen in the ballroom, drunkenly swinging from the chandelier by his cane. He was named after the character Samuel Pickwick from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens. He appears in the video game, swinging from the chandelier in the Foyer. In the comics, his full name was Erasmus Cromwell Pickwick, and he was a master thief with acrophobia.

The ghosts of two top hat wearing gentlemen emerge from paintings of themselves and shoot each other. One of them may be Mr. Sewell, whose tombstone in the family plot proclaims he died from a duel. A pin released in 2010 features the duelists behind the Mr. Sewell tombstone.

In the 2003 film, they make a brief appearance in the graveyard scene, and their hats fly off when they shoot each other. One is a French duelist, played by Derek Mears.

The beardless Duelist appears in the video game, as one of the main "friendly ghosts." He has a southern accent and claims that he was shot in the back by that yellow belly that did him in.

In the coloring book based on the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion, the Duelists are shown pointing at each other, sans firearms.

A grim organist appears in the ballroom scene, constantly playing a large pipe organ while skull-like banshees spill out of the pipes. In Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, the organ he plays is actually a prop used in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. On the ride's soundtrack, his manic organ playing (of Grim Grinning Ghosts) is performed by William Sabransky, based on original improvisations by Gaylord Carter.

In the video game, the organist is one of the main "friendly ghosts," and is depicted without a top hat. He is often short-tempered and rude, but appreciates Zeke's efforts to restore the Mansion. His death certificate says that he put his music before his life, and this apparently led to his death.

Though the character from the attraction isn't seen in the 2003 film, there is an homage to him in one scene where Ezra (Wallace Shawn) serves as wedding organist and plays an off-key rendition of Here Comes the Bride. The organist from the attraction was featured in Rick Baker's character concept art for the film, in which he was depicted wearing dark glasses and smiling a ghastly, toothy grin.

The organist was named Sam in the Play It Again, Sam model kit released by MPC in the 1970s as part of their Haunted Mansion series. In the assembled diorama, when Sam pounds the keys, a mummy pops out of the pipe organ.

The Bride, one of the Mansion's most enigmatic characters, haunts the Attic. Inspiration for the character can be traced back to legends such as the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall. The Bride has been altered several times over the years, appearing now at Disneyland and Walt Disney World as Constance Hatchaway—the "Black Widow Bride," using a digital projection effect.

The original incarnation of the Bride was a skeletal corpse with glowing eyes, clutching a candle in one hand and a bouquet in the other. The sound of her thumping heart filled the attic, and it could be seen glowing red within her chest. Her groom (according to the Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion album), the Hatbox Ghost, was removed shortly after the attraction opened, as his "disappearing head" effect was unconvincing under the scene's lighting conditions. Several "blast-up" and "pop-up" ghosts were also featured in the attic until they were removed with the "Black Widow Bride" update.

At one point a story circulated that the Bride's ring was embedded in the exterior exit path of Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion. The object was actually what remained of a crowd-control stanchion that had been cut down. It was removed during 2007's Re-Haunting. In 2011, when the new interactive queue was added, an "official" Bride's ring was embedded in the path to honor the popular legend.

In the 2003 film, the Bride character is a woman of mixed race named Elizabeth Henshaw (played by Marsha Thomason) who is Edward Gracey's lover. She is poisoned by the villainous butler Ramsley, who disapproves of the relationship. After Gracey hangs himself in despair, his ghost remains, awaiting Elizabeth's return.

A candle-holding bride appears in the 2003 video game, though she is not the character from the movie.

In the comics, the bride character is named Emily De Claire. She was engaged to William Gracey, who was secretly the pirate Captain Blood. She died shortly after the ghost of Randall Pace (the Hatbox Ghost in the comics) revealed Gracey's secrets to her. This was inspired by Ken Anderson's early concepts for the attraction involving characters Captain Gore and Priscilla.

In the book Enter if you Dare!: Scary Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Sally Little was believed to have died of a broken heart after her father forbade her from marrying her lover Caleb. Years later, Sally, now a skeletal corpse, and Caleb, now an old man, finally have their wedding.

The storyline of Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris revolves around a bride named Melanie Ravenswood who is tormented by the sinister Phantom.

During the 2006 upgrades at Disneyland, the Bride was given a name, a new look, and a backstory. In the late 19th century, Constance married—and murdered—at least five wealthy men and inherited their fortunes. Her ghost utters sinister variations on classic wedding vows as a gleaming hatchet materializes in her hands. The visible beating heart of the previous versions of the Bride was not carried over to Constance, but its audio remains on the soundtrack. While much of Constance's story is left to the imagination, there are some hints in the newly decorated attic that give guests some insight into the character. A series of wedding photographs can be seen among various gifts and ceremonial trappings, and as guests pass each photo the heads of Constance's former grooms disappear. In the last photo, Constance holds a rose while posing next to her groom George Hightower. This echoes the portrait (in the stretching room) of a much older Constance holding a rose as she sits atop the tombstone of her late husband George, whose stone bust has a hatchet lodged in its head. (In an early attraction script, the widow in the stretching portrait was named Abigale Patecleaver.) Though Constance's ghost manifests as a young woman, she apparently lived to see old age.

Constance was later installed at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion during the 2007 Re-Haunting. Constance is voiced and played by Kat Cressida[1], though considerable CG work was done on the final product, which may have utilized other performance material as well. Photographs of the living Constance were modeled by Julia Lee of Buffy the Vampire Slayer[2].

For The Haunted Mansion's 40th anniversary event at Disneyland, a dinner show about the wedding of Constance and George was presented, featuring a minister named Reverend Bloodmere. In the show, Constance appeared to have a slit throat, suggesting a violent demise rather than a natural age-related cause of death.

In the Wii game Epic Mickey, Horace Horsecollar (who runs the Detective Agency in the Wasteland) sends Mickey Mouse on a quest to find Constance's murder weapon. As Horace explains to Mickey, "Constance Hatchaway was once the Lady of Lonesome Manor. Several of her husbands... expired. There were suspicions but no evidence. Mrs. Hatchaway hid a hatchet in the house."

In the Xbox 360 game Kinect Disneyland Adventures, Constance haunts the Ballroom and serves as a boss. Her appearance is based on the pre-2006 version of the character, complete with candle and bouquet.

George Hightower. In 1877, Constance married George Hightower (of Newport Beach, California), who at the time was the owner of the house that would later come to be known as "The Haunted Mansion." Constance most likely inherited the Mansion after George's death. In the Stretching Room, he is represented in one of the portraits as a stone bust with a hatchet lodged in his head. George in the wedding photo was portrayed by Imagineer Rick Rothschild.

At the dinner show for the Haunted Mansion's 40th anniversary event held at Disneyland in 2009, George referred to himself as master of the Mansion.

George may be a relative of Harrison Hightower III, the doomed adventurer and multimillionaire who built Hotel Hightower in New York (in the backstory of Tokyo DisneySea'sTower of Terror attraction). Harrison was also an associate of the explorer Lord Henry Mystic, the owner of Mystic Manor (Hong Kong Disneyland's variation on The Haunted Mansion).

The Hatbox Ghost was a character who originally appeared in the attic, on the opposite side of the room from the Bride. He was a cloaked figure with a grinning skeletal face, clutching a cane with a trembling hand. His head would disappear from his body and reappear from within the hat box he held in his other hand. He was removed shortly after the attraction opened at Disneyland due to the effect not working as intended, and has not returned since. In the Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion album, he is identified as the Bride's groom ("with each beat of his bride's heart..."). The headless groom theme was re-introduced into the attic scene in 2006, as part of the "Black Widow Bride" storyline.

Although the figure has the same face mold as the skeletal hitchhiking ghost, they are not meant to be the same character. Distinctive features of the Hatbox Ghost are a gold tooth and stringy hair. Since 2007, multiple photographs of the Hatbox Ghost have adorned the walls of the Corridor of Doors in the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion.

The winter 1969 issue of Disney's Backstage Magazine featured a comic starring a Hatbox Ghost look-alike named Gaylord Ghoul. At the end of the comic, the character is revealed to be merely a man in a mask.

In the Slave Labor Graphics comics, the Hatbox Ghost in life was a sea captain named Randall Pace, who was beheaded with a sword by his first mate, William Gracey. Captain Pace's ghost eventually wrought vengeance upon Gracey.

Guillermo del Toro has stated that his upcoming Haunted Mansion film will feature the Hatbox Ghost as a pivotal figure in the story, and that the mythology of the Mansion will be centered around the character. Del Toro analogized his version of the Hatbox Ghost to a spider sitting in the middle of a "web" of Haunted Mansions.

As the Doom Buggies make their descent from the roof of the Mansion into the cemetery, guests find themselves surrounded by grasping, demon trees. Although static, they were originally intended to move.

The terrified caretaker and his emaciated, whimpering dog stand at the open gates of the cemetery, wide-eyed and shivering at the sight of the ghostly multitudes. He and his dog are some of the only "living" characters in the entire attraction, and as such they are lit with incandescent light rather than fluorescent or black light. The caretaker's dog (or a very similar looking dog) is also seen moments later near the mummy, sniffing his sarcophagus. In Collin Campbell's artwork for The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion album, the caretaker stands at the gates of Whispering Glade Cemetery, a reference to the 1965 film The Loved One. The caretaker is sometimes referred to as the groundskeeper, the gravedigger, or the night watchman. The footprints (and paw prints) of the caretaker and his dog can be found in the queue outside of the Walt Disney World Mansion.

The caretaker and his dog make a brief appearance in the 2003 film, but as ghosts themselves. In early drafts of the screenplay, the caretaker had a small speaking role. Don Knotts reportedly signed on to play the character, but dropped out before filming began.

In the comics, the character is named Horace Fusslebottom in some stories and Dick in others. Accompanied by his dog Boney, he works as groundskeeper so he can dine with his wife's ghost every night, on her gravesite.

Zeke Holloway, the cowardly lantern-holding protagonist of the video game, was inspired by the character. He initially comes to the house to inquire about an assistant caretaker position. In the epilogue narration, Zeke reveals that he became caretaker of the estate for a time before continuing to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. The original caretaker from the attraction (sans dog) appears as a disgruntled ghost in the winter garden, who complains that no one is ever around to pay him for his work.

These characters find ghoulish pleasure in popping up from behind tombstones to scare passers-by. Most of them appear to be decaying corpses that were recently unearthed. Though silent now, the characters would originally shriek or cackle as they popped up. Pop-ups were also used in the attic scene (emerging from trunks and boxes) at Disneyland until 2006 and at Walt Disney World until 2007. They remain in the attic of Tokyo's Haunted Mansion. In the original attraction script, the attic pop-ups are described as "impish demons."

The band in the graveyard consists of five ghostly musicians, playing instruments which back the Grim Grinning Ghosts song. From left to right, a cadaverous drummer drums on a gravestone (using bones), a hunchback plays a flute (which during recording was played backwards and the recording reversed), a ghost plays the bagpipes, another a harp, and another a horn. These instruments do not necessarily reflect the instruments used in the original recording session for the song. Marc Davis expanded upon his concept art for the Phantom Drummer of Tedworth to create the Phantom Five. The ghosts appear in the video game and reference the famous "More Cowbell" sketch from Saturday Night Live.

A king and queen balance a teeter totter on a tombstone. Behind them, a duchess with a cup of tea gently sways on a swing. In the concept art by Marc Davis, the king and queen would alternately disappear and reappear on the teeter totter. The king and queen make a brief appearance in the 2003 film. In the video game, the queen can be found in the observatory, but she is paired up with the other king from the ride.

A quintet of marble busts sing Grim Grinning Ghosts amidst the revelry in the graveyard. Their names are (from left to right): Rollo Rumkin, Uncle Theodore, Cousin Algernon, Ned Nub, and Phineas P. Pock. The original concept art for talking or singing busts by Marc Davis included a female, Aunt Lucretia. The busts can also be seen in Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris, minus Cousin Algernon.

Rollo Rumkin: "Lived and died a friendly bumpkin," according to his tombstone (spelled Rolo on the stone), which was originally located in the family plot outside of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. His name is a tribute to Imagineer Rolly Crump. He was played by Verne Rowe. In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Rollo Rumkin debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue.

Uncle Theodore: The lead singing bust, whose head is broken off, was played by the deep-voiced Thurl Ravenscroft (known for singing You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch and providing the voice of Tony the Tiger). He is often incorrectly identified as Walt Disney. Ravenscroft also narrated the 1969 record The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion. In the comics, Uncle Theodore narrates Doom of the Diva, the tale of Baronessa Elda. In the 2003 film (like in the attraction), Thurl Ravenscroft's likeness was used for one of the singing busts. In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone that reads "In memory of Uncle Theodore" debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue. In Phantom Manor, his head has not broken off of the bust, but it is leaning over to the side a little, mimicking the broken head in the American mansions and in Tokyo.

Cousin Algernon: Distinguishable from the other busts by his derby hat. He was played by Chuck Schroeder. In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Cousin Algernon debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue.

Ned Nub: The only bust without a necktie. He was played by Jay Meyer. In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Ned Nub debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue.

Phineas P. Pock: Relative of the poet Prudence Pock. He was played by Bob Ebright. The name Phineas Pock has appeared elsewhere in Haunted Mansion lore. A tombstone with the name Phineas Pock was featured in the original family plot at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, but it may not have been the same character as the singing bust. A radio spot for the opening of the attraction featured the ghost of a "real old-timer" named Phineas Pock, who died in 1720. A souvenir magic book, released in 1970, was authored by a ghostly magician named Phineas J. Pock. It has been rumored, but unconfirmed, that a tombstone was designed for Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion with the inscription "Phineas Pock, Lord and Master." In an attempt to tie it all together, some fans have theorized that the name Phineas was carried down in multiple generations of the Pock family. In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Phineas Pock debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue.

In the 2003 film, the singing busts were reduced to a quartet, played by Disneyland's Dapper Dans. While singing Grim Grinning Ghosts, they are interrupted by Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) and his two children, who ask them where to find the mausoleum. The busts respond in song, but don't actually answer any of Jim's questions. At the end of the film, the Evers are shown driving down a highway on vacation, with the singing busts tied to the back of the car. Originally the four busts were planned to be in the likenesses of Marc Davis, Paul Frees, Blaine Gibson, and Thurl Ravenscroft, but only those of Frees and Ravenscroft survived to the final cut.

They were also voiced by the Dapper Dans in the video game. Upon entering the graveyard, Zeke encounters a lone bust who tells him to find the three other members of his quartet and wake them up. There are also "wannabe" singing busts to be avoided. When the correct busts are awakened, together they sing a "graveyard melody" dedicated to "brother Zeke." Their vocal harmony magically causes a previously hidden mausoleum to emerge from the earth. In the end credits of the game, they are heard singing Grim Grinning Ghosts.

The Disney animated film Hercules features an homage during the song I Won't Say (I'm in Love), in which the Muses appear as singing busts and are arranged in the same way as the Haunted Mansion characters.

A group of Dickensesque ghosts gather around a hearse stuck in the mud, enjoying a spot of tea. A short ghost with a large hook nose (bearing a passing resemblance to Jimmy Durante) sits upright in the coffin that has slipped out of the hearse. Early documentation and the Story and Song From The Haunted Mansion album described a shrouded corpse, rather than a ghost, sitting in the coffin and sipping tea. Opposite this character, a ghost sits on a rock with his legs crossed and teacup in hand. He was dressed in medieval garb in Marc Davis' original concept art, but the current figure in the Disneyland Haunted Mansion wears 19th century attire. The character at Walt Disney World, who retains his original costume, has been (possibly erroneously) referred to as "The Sea Captain" by Imagineers Tony Baxter and Jason Surrell.

Behind the tea party, up on a grassy knoll, a group of diaphanous haunts ride bicycles around the tombstones. One of them rides a tandem bicycle. They are cloaked in tattered robes, and clutch the handlebars with skeletal hands. In his concept art, Marc Davis depicted them as stereotypical "sheet ghosts" wearing bowler hats, riding in circles around a smiling, anthropomorphic dead tree.

Bicycling ghosts appear in the 2003 film, but are unambiguously the ghosts of former humans.

A bicycle-riding ghost appeared in the October 1969 issue of Walt Disney Comics Digest, in a story called Spooky Tenants (promoting the recently opened attraction at Disneyland). In 1887, Jonathan Harker (the name of one of the protagonists in Bram Stoker'sDracula) got so excited during a cross-country bicycle race that he rode off Wandsworth Cliff and into the ocean. His ghost haunted the old Harker house until it was torn down, leaving him without a home. Mickey and Goofy persuaded him, along with a few other ghosts, to move into the Mansion at Disneyland.

A resurrected Egyptian mummy (voiced by Allan Davies) with a cup of tea sits upright in his sarcophagus, mumbling the song Grim Grinning Ghosts through his bandages. A thin dog (probably the caretaker's dog) sniffs the mummy's sarcophagus. The mummy makes an appearance in the video game, in the mausoleum.

The ghost of a venerable, bearded oracle of the Renaissance period (Dal McKennon) stands near the mummy, holding a hearing horn to his ear. The old man attempts to understand the mummy but can't quite make out what he's saying, which frustrates the mummy. The character was voiced by Dal McKennon.

A female/male opera duo, dressed in stereotypical "Ride of the Valkyries" attire, join in the singing of Grim Grinning Ghosts, with the female wailing and ad-libbing on the third verse. The female is overweight, has blonde pigtails, and wears a winged helmet. Her partner is a thin, mustached man in armor, with a sheathed sword at his side. They were originally voiced/performed by Loulie Jean Norman (soprano) and Bill Reeve (tenor). These vocals remain in the Disneyland and Tokyo Haunted Mansions, but were replaced with new recordings at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion in 2007. The female opera singer may be named Harriet, as there is a tombstone attributed to "first lady of the opera, our haunting Harriet." This tombstone debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion in 2011. The characters are a visual pun on Phantom of the Opera, and may be a reference to the colloquialism "it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings."

The Opera Singers appear separately in the video game, and the female is one of the main "friendly ghosts," who died by "bringing down the house."

The characters were also meant to appear in the 2003 film, but ultimately didn't make the cut. One piece of concept art for the film depicted a much slimmer version of the female opera singer.

In the comics, the female opera singer is named Hilda in one story, and Baronessa Elda in another. Baronessa was a famous opera diva who was eventually fired for her ego. She received an invitation to sing at Gracey Manor, which she graciously accepted. However, once she realized her audience was made up entirely of ghosts, she ran out frightened and fell over a landing, her braid acting as a noose.

On a related note, other references to opera (and specifically Phantom of the Opera) have appeared in the Mansion(s). One of the "Sinister Eleven" characters holds a lorgnette (a pair of spectacles often used by audience members at the opera). For years, in the attic of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion, a poster of Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera could be found among the bric-a-brac. Phantom Manor's storyline and general theme was heavily inspired by the story.

Nearby the opera singers is the ghost of a decapitated knight with a thick German accent (voiced by Ernie Newton), holding his singing head in an extended hand. Standing next to the knight is the ghost of his executioner.

The knight and executioner make a brief appearance in the 2003 film, in the graveyard scene.

In the activity book Build Your Own Haunted Mansion (released in conjunction with the 2003 film), the knight is named Galahad.

The knight also appears in the video game, but has a British accent, and was beheaded by guillotine rather than the executioner's axe.

Standing next to the decapitated knight is the singing ghost of a hulking but high-voiced masked executioner (voiced by Bill Days), holding an axe in one hand and a ring of keys in the other. The executioner sings a duet with the ghost of a hairy dwarf prisoner (who has a deep, gravelly voice provided by Candy Candido).

The executioner makes a brief appearance in the 2003 film, in the graveyard scene, waving at the Evers family after beheading the knight.

The executioner is featured on the first page of the Collin Campbell illustrated album booklet for The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion—a menacing figure standing in the entryway of the Mansion.

A skeletal arm holding a trowel dangles out of a partially bricked-in tomb. While other ghosts attempt to escape their tombs in the graveyard, the bricklayer appears to be doing the opposite by walling itself in. In the concept art by Marc Davis, the bricklayer's hand was gloved.

The Hitchhiking Ghosts – "The Prisoner," "The Skeleton," and "The Traveler" – are often considered to be the mascots of The Haunted Mansion. They alone have the most merchandise, including pins, stuffed toys, action figures, and bobbleheads. The Hitchhiking Ghosts are a tongue-in-cheek send-up of urban legends involving phantom hitchhikers. They are seen standing together inside a crypt, thumbs extended. They hitch a ride with guests traveling in Doom Buggies and appear alongside them in mirrors. "They have selected you to fill our quota, and they'll haunt you until you return," says the Ghost Host. In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, the mirror scene was updated with digital effects that enable the ghosts to interact with the guests. The vocals for Walt Disney World's computer-generated ghosts were provided by actor Kurt von Schmittou.

The Prisoner is a hairy little ghost with a ball and chain shackled to his ankle. He is previously seen standing next to the masked executioner in the graveyard, holding a file to use on the ball and chain shackled to his ankle, and singing Grim Grinning Ghosts with a deep gravelly voice supplied by Candy Candido. As guests exit Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, Candido's creepy laughter can be heard echoing in the crypt. Although the Prisoner's original vocal track is still in use at the Disneyland and Tokyo Haunted Mansions, it was replaced with a new recording (performed by a bass singer) at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion in 2007. So far, no media adaptation has depicted the Prisoner as having a deep voice like in the attraction.

The Prisoner's beard has alternately been brown or white throughout the years, in different incarnations (though white is the current standard). In the Haunted MansionMPC model kit Escape from the Crypt that was released in the 1970s, the Prisoner is depicted as a Viking (his horned helmet lays on the ground next to the hole he emerged from) and he is referred to in the description as a gnome.

The Skeleton is a tall, dapper, grinning ghost. When the attraction first opened at Disneyland, he was completely bald, but has since had hair of varying lengths. Although the Skeleton figure has the same face mold as the Hatbox Ghost, they are not meant to be the same character. In Marc Davis' original concept art, the character was a stereotypical "sheet ghost" with no clothes, save for the bowler hat he lifted above his head. By the time the attraction opened, the character had evolved into the fully clothed skeletal ghost seen in the Mansion today.

The Traveler is an overweight hunchback wearing a top hat and holding a carpet bag. At Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion (since the 2011 updates), a portrait of Maude Sweeny is included in the Traveler's luggage, suggesting a possible familial relation.

The Hitchhiking Ghosts are often referred to by fans as "Gus" (Prisoner), "Ezra" (Skeleton), and "Phineas" (Traveler). These names first appeared in fan fiction created by Cast Members who worked at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion. Since then, the names have become so well known that they have appeared on merchandise for the characters and in various media licensed by Disney (such as the now-defunct online game Virtual Magic Kingdom), but their canonicity is disputed. When the subject was brought up in a 2006 interview, Imagineer Jason Surrell said, "Their names are not Ezra, Phineas, and Gus. I don't know where it came from. I know at one point, Cast Members contributed to this website that names all the ghosts and gives them backstories. None of those have any basis in Imagineering story, or anything like that. But somehow Ezra, Phineas, and Gus in particular managed to stick, so in the book about the only thing I could do is acknowledge that and say it's not official, but acknowledge it at the same time." When the interactive queue was installed outside of the Walt Disney World attraction in 2011, tombstones with the names Gus and Ezra were added. Also added was a tombstone for Phineas Pock, though this is a reference to the singing bust character, and not the Traveler hitchhiking ghost.

In early drafts of the screenplay for the 2003 film, the Hitchhiking Ghosts had large supporting roles (as comic relief), and were named Gus, Ezra, and Phineas. Rather than three random ghosts, the trio were former servants of the mansion. Gus was the groundskeeper instead of a ball-and-chained prisoner, Ezra was the coachman, and Phineas was the head chef (complete with French accent). The name Ezra made it into the finished film, but as Wallace Shawn's servant character and not one of the Hitchhiking Ghosts. Though their roles were cut down substantially, the Hitchhiking Ghosts make a brief appearance in the film, hitching a ride in the hearse carrying Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) and his children. They were played by Deep Roy (Prisoner), Jeremy Howard (Skeleton), and Clay Martinez (Traveler). While the Skeleton observes silently, the Prisoner and the Traveler argue with Jim over whether or not he can see the ghosts - until the Prisoner accuses Jim of being a liar and a psychic, causing the Evers to leave the hearse. In Build Your Own Haunted Mansion, an activity book released in conjunction with the film, the Skeleton was named Phineas.

The 2003 film version of the Hitchhiking Ghosts were featured in a commercial promoting Halloween Time at Disneyland. In the commercial, the ghosts leave the Mansion and are seen enjoying other Disney attractions, such as Matterhorn Bobsleds and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The commercial ends with the ghosts screaming in terror inside It's a Small World.

In the 2003 video game, the three ghosts are seen individually in a passageway connected from the graveyard to the Mansion, each with a thumb extended. They are friendly to Zeke and ask if they can come along with him on his quest. "Trust me, you won't even know I'm there," says the Traveler.

Upon entering the Mansion in the Xbox 360 game Kinect Disneyland Adventures, the Skeleton warns the player to go back before it's too late. For the rest of the level, the three Hitchhiking Ghosts serve as mischievous enemy characters. At one point, the Traveler possesses a suit of armor and chases the player down several corridors.

A game called The Haunted Mansion: The Black Widow Bride is available to play on Disney's official website. Players control the Hitchhiking Ghosts (named Phineas, Ezra, and Gus in the game) as they evade the clutches of the Black Widow Bride. Phineas can move through glowing paintings, pick up small objects, and capture spiders. Ezra can use fireballs to light candelabras and scare away the Black Widow Bride. Gus uses his ball and chain to defeat ghostly armor and trigger floor switches.

The Hitchhiking Ghosts, as animated characters, made cameo appearances in multiple episodes of Disney's House of Mouse. In the episode "House Ghosts," Pete tried to use them to scare everyone out of the club by releasing them from a crate but he scared himself. Additionally, they appeared in the direct-to-video spin-off, Mickey's House of Villains.

In the comics, the Prisoner was a sleepy shepherd named Gus and the Skeleton was a jokester named Ezra Gasser. The Traveler wasn't named in any of the released issues.

The book Enter if You Dare!: Scary Tales from the Haunted Mansion features a story loosely inspired by the Hitchhiking Ghosts mirror scene. In the story, a teenage girl is haunted by the ghost of Jake MacHeath, a disfigured man in a cowboy hat who constantly appears in mirrors and other reflective surfaces.

This miniature "lady in white" type ghost beckons guests to hurry back at the end of the attraction. She was played (face and voice) by Leota Toombs. The character is said to have been inspired by the "arrangement hostesses" from the 1965 film The Loved One. It is unknown whether or not the Ghost Hostess is the same character as Madame Leota. Due to being played by the same woman, the two characters are often combined, such as in the 40th anniversary event at Disneyland. Fans often call the character "Little Leota," a label for the figure seen on blueprints for the attraction. However, the blueprint nickname is likely referring to the figure as being a little version of Leota Toombs, and not the actual name of the Ghost Hostess. The Ghost Host mentioned the character in a line recorded (but unused) for Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, calling her a "charming ghostess" who takes applications from those who wish to join the happy haunts. Another character who has been referred to as a "Ghostess" appears in the ballroom scene.

In the 2003 film, her lines were spoken by Madame Leota (Jennifer Tilly) after the credits. In Phantom Manor, an amalgamation of the Ghost Hostess, Madame Leota, and Bride characters appears at the end of the attraction, played by Oona Lind.

On numerous tombstones and crypts at the Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Tokyo Haunted Mansions (and in the Servants Quarters of Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion) are the names of characters who may or may not appear in the attraction. Most of the names are actually tributes to Imagineers who were involved in the creation of the attraction.

At the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion, in the Servants Quarters, there is a bell for Ambassador Xavier's Lounging Lodge. It is a tribute to the attraction's scriptwriter Xavier Atencio. The name Xavier has appeared elsewhere in the Mansions, as Francis Xavier and Chauncey Xavier. It is unknown if Ambassador Xavier is Francis, Chauncey, or neither.

In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Bartholomew Gore debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue. The name originated from early concepts for the attraction by Imagineer Ken Anderson involving a ghostly sea captain. Alternate names for the character were Gideon Gorelieu and Black Bart (an alias).

In Anderson's proposed backstory, Captain Bartholomew Gore married a young woman named Priscilla and murdered her after she discovered he was a bloodthirsty pirate. In one version, Priscilla's ghost haunted and tormented him until he finally hanged himself from the rafters. The suicide by hanging became an aspect of the Ghost Host character in the final attraction, many years later. In another version of the Captain Gore story, he drowned at sea—an idea that carried over to the "Mariner" character, Captain Culpepper Clyne (although he drowned in the bathtub, according to the epitaph on his tomb that was added in 2011).

In the comics, the ongoing Mystery of the Manse saga was inspired by Anderson's Captain Gore backstory, though the character was called Captain Blood, a pseudonym used by William Gracey.

The story 3 of a Kind in the comics features a man who calls himself Bartholomew Gore (possibly William Gracey using an alias). The man pulls a gun on three other men after he catches them cheating during a card game.

In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Beauregard debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue. Beauregard is another character that originated from early Ken Anderson concepts for the attraction. He was to be a living butler that would guide guests through "the old Gore Mansion." House servants (played by Cast Members) appear in the final attraction, but the role of tour guide was given to the Ghost Host. In early 2004, Beauregard the Butler was a character featured in Disney's Haunted Mansion Weekend—an experience created by Disney and the AtmosFEAR! scream team in the UK.

Inspired by the gruesome Edgar Allan Poe tale, the one-eyed black cat appears on the tomb of the composer at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion. This was another major character from early concepts and ideas.

"While Brother Roland here reposes, his soul's above, one supposes." This tribute to Imagineer Roland "Rolly" Crump (who created the unused Museum of the Weird concept for the attraction) debuted on a crypt in 2011 at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion.

"He died in the fall, it's a fact notwithstanding. But the judges admired his form on the landing." A tribute to Imagineer Collin Campbell, who illustrated the book that accompanied the Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion album. Incidentally, Collin Campbell died a few days after his tribute tombstone debuted outside of Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion in 2011.

"He braved the sea and all her wrath, but drowned on land while taking a bath." Because he was "allergic to dirt," Captain Clyne's body floats in a crypt filled with brine. Occasionally his ghost can be heard singing the Drunken Sailorsea shanty from his crypt. His portrait can be found in the Walt Disney World and Tokyo Haunted Mansions. Prior to the installation of the interactive queue in 2011, he was simply known as "The Mariner" or "The Sea Captain."

"No time off for good behavior." His tombstone is only at the Tokyo Disney Haunted Mansion, and for a time was at the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. He is possibly related to Francis Xavier, who has the same epitaph. There is also an Ambassador Xavier.

At the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion, in the Servants Quarters, there is a bell for Colonel Coats' Bivouac Berth. It is a tribute to Claude Coats. Other tributes to the Imagineer include the "Brother Claude" tombstone and a book in the Mansion's library titled The Art of Deception by Claude Coats.

"A composer of note and renown here reposes. His melodies fade as he now decomposes." This character composed Grim Grinning Ghosts, which in reality was composed by Buddy Baker. On his tomb (which made its debut in 2011 at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion) are engravings of the Phantom Five's instruments on one side, and bizarre supernatural instruments (inspired by Rolly Crump ideas) on the other. Also as part of the tomb is a pipe organ replica, with sculpted banshees. Inscribed near the organ keys is the word "Ravenscroft" (a Thurl Ravenscroft tribute), though it is unknown if this is the character's name. The Composer may also be the organist seen in the ballroom.

"Our dearest Dorothea." A tribute to Imagineer Dorothea Redmond, who produced concept art for the attraction. This tombstone debuted in 2011 on the hillside adjacent to the queue of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion.

In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, memorial busts of six members of the Dread family (Uncle Jacob, Cousin Maude, the Twins, Aunt Florence, and Bertie) debuted in the updated queue. Their epitaphs allude to a murder mystery.

Uncle Jacob Dread. "Greed was the poison he had swallowed. He went first, the others followed." Uncle Jacob is depicted as a thin, mustached man with a monocle.

Cousin Maude Sweeny. The governess to the twins, Wellington & Forsythia. "Our sleeping beauty who never awoke, the night her dreams went up in smoke." In the Hitchhiking Ghosts scene at Walt Disney World, a portrait of Cousin Maude is included in the Traveler's luggage, suggesting a possible familial relation.

Wellington & Forsythia Dread. Twin siblings. "Departed life while in their beds with identical bumps on identical heads." So far, they are the only canonical child characters known of in the world of the Mansion, apart from Master Gracey, whose title of "master" on the tombstone was originally meant to imply a male too young to be called "mister" (rather than master of the house, as is commonly assumed).

Aunt Florence McGuffin Dread. "Never did a dishonorable deed, yet found face down in canary seed."

Bertie Dread. "Avid hunter and expert shot. In the end that's what he got." Bertie is depicted as a plump man with a large mustache and wearing a safari hat, with a snake or serpent wrapped around his neck.

Whitfield Tarkington Dread. This character briefly appeared in 2010 in testing for the interactive queue to come in 2011.

Ruben Dread. This character briefly appeared in 2010 in testing for the interactive queue to come in 2011.

For many years, in Frontierland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, there was a wooden directional sign pointing to Gastley Mansion. "Gastley" had been crossed out and the word "Haunted" was scrawled above. In addition to revealing the name of the house (the Walt Disney World version, at least) before it became known as "The Haunted Mansion," this suggests that former residents had the surname of Gastley. The sign was eventually removed, possibly in 2011 or 2012.

In 2012, a wooden crate addressed to Gracey Manor (rather than Gastley Mansion) was added near the attraction in Liberty Square.

In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Gus debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue. The name is commonly associated with the Prisoner Hitchhiking Ghost.

"First lady of the opera, our haunting Harriet. Searched for a tune but never could carry it." In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, this tombstone debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue as a tribute to Imagineer Harriet Burns. The tombstone may refer to the ghostly opera diva seen near the end of the attraction.

"Doctor. Lawyer. Legal clerk. Forever buried in his work." This tombstone can be found near the Phantom Five at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. It is a tribute to Cary "Jay" Sharp, a fan who was honored as the Mansion's "1000th Ghost" after winning a charity auction held by Disneyland in October 2004.

"Drink a toast to our good friend Ken. Fill your glass and don't say when." A tribute to Imagineer Ken Anderson, who pitched many Disneyland haunted house concepts to Walt Disney in the 1950s. Many of his ideas made it into the final attraction. The tribute debuted in 2011 on a crypt at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion.

A tombstone in the family plot outside of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion reads "Master Gracey laid to rest. No mourning please, at his request." It is a tribute to Disney Imagineer Yale Gracey. His tombstone was also one of the original eight in the family plot outside of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, but it was removed sometime in the 1970s. According to the attraction's scriptwriter Xavier Atencio (who penned the epitaph), the title of "master" on the tombstone was meant to indicate a male too young to be called "mister," and not the master of the house. Despite this refutation, many fans assert that Gracey isthe master of the house, a Dorian Gray-like character whose transforming portrait can be found above the fireplace in the foyer of the Walt Disney World and Tokyo Haunted Mansions (and in the changing portrait hallway of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion since 2005). Merchandising has since adopted this popular notion, labeling the Aging Man as Master Gracey on various items. Master Gracey has also often been misidentified by fans and in some media adaptations as the Ghost Host.

Before the addition of the interactive queue to Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion in March 2011, a Cast Member would pick a fresh rose every morning and place it on Gracey's grave. In the Servants Quarters, there is a bell for Master Gracey's Bedchamber.

A Master Gracey tombstone is nowhere to be found at Tokyo Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. Instead, there is a tombstone for Mister West, which has the same epitaph and design as the Gracey tombstone. West's tombstone was also once located at the Disneyland Haunted Mansion, after the Gracey tombstone was removed.

Recent media adaptations have followed the fan-based theory of Master Gracey being the master of the mansion. In the 2003 film, Master Edward Gracey (played by Nathaniel Parker) was a nobleman who hanged himself after the death of his lover Elizabeth Henshaw in the late 1800s. Since the film's release, the master of the house from the attraction has been labeled on some pieces of merchandise as Edward Gracey.

In the comics, a young sailor named William Gracey murdered the captain of the ship he was employed on, and became a notorious pirate known as Captain Blood. After amassing a great fortune, he purchased a (haunted) mansion in New Orleans and got engaged to a beautiful young woman named Emily de Claire. On the night of their wedding, Master William Gracey found Emily dead in the attic. Soon after, he died by hanging himself in the cupola of his mansion, and his spirit remained behind (as the Ghost Host). This story was heavily inspired by Ken Anderson's early concepts for the Disneyland attraction involving a pirate character named Captain Gore.

In the 2003 film's backstory [3], the house was called Gracey Manor, built by a sea captain named Ambrose Gracey. The name Gracey Manor (or Gracey Mansion) was used in the comics as well, but it was never the canonical name of any of the Disney Park Mansions, until recently. In 2012 at Walt Disney World, a wooden box was added near the Mansion that is addressed to Gracey Manor in Hudson River Valley, Province of New York. For several years, in Frontierland at Walt Disney World, there was a sign pointing toward the attraction with the name Gastley Mansion (the word "Gastley" was crossed out and replaced with "Haunted").

"No mourning please, at his request." A tribute to Imagineer Mike West. At Tokyo Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, this takes the place of Master Gracey's tombstone. Chained to Mister West's tombstone is a statue of his deceased dog, Digger.

Jake (AKA "Big Jake"), a dog. "Chasing a toad down a well was his one mistake."

Lilac, a skunk. Died in 1847. "Long on curiosity. Short on common scents."

Long Legged Jeb, a spider. "Got tangled up in his very own web."

Miss Kitty, a cat. "After losing eight lives you still had no fear. You caught a snake in your ninth and that's why you're here."

Mr. Toad, an anthropomorphic toad. His statue was placed in the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion pet cemetery as a tribute to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride after it was closed.

Old Flybait, a frog. He "croaked" on August 9, 1869.

Rosie, a pig. She "bought the farm" in 1849.

Sparky, the dog from Tim Burton's stop-motion animated film Frankenweenie. This tombstone was added to the pet cemetery outside of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion in 2012 (during the seasonal Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay) to promote the film. It was removed after the overlay.

Stripey, a skunk. "You may be departed, but your presence will always linger on."

Waddle, a duck. Died in 1928. "Little Waddle saw the truck, but Little Waddle didn't duck."

In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Phineas Pock debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue. Phineas P. Pock is one of the Singing Busts, as well as a relative of the poet Prudence Pock.

Long since removed, in the original family plot outside of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion was a tombstone for Phineas Pock, "laid to rest beneath this rock." It was the only tombstone of the original eight that was not a tribute to an Imagineer. Though possibly a reference to the Singing Bust, the name Phineas Pock was used for various characters in promotional material during the early days of the Mansion.

A radio spot promoting the opening of the attraction at Disneyland featured the ghost of a "real old-timer" named Phineas Pock (voiced by Paul Frees), who died in 1720. This wouldn't be Phineas P. Pock, whose bust has a 19th-century style.

A souvenir magic book sold at Disneyland in 1970 was authored by a ghostly magician named Phineas J. Pock.

It has been rumored, but unconfirmed, that a tombstone was designed for Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion with the inscription "Phineas Pock, Lord and Master." In an attempt to tie it all together, some fans have theorized that the name Phineas was carried down in multiple generations of the Pock family.

Additionally, the Traveler hitchhiking ghost is often referred to by fans as Phineas (not necessarily Pock), which originated from fan fiction but has since appeared on merchandise for the character.

In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Priscilla debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue. In early concepts for the Mansion by Ken Anderson, Priscilla was the wife (or fiancée) of Captain Gore, who murdered her after she discovered he was a bloodthirsty pirate.

A poet who supposedly died from writer's block, according to her tomb, which made its debut in 2011 at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion. Prudence is a member of the Pock family, which includes Phineas Pock and the singing bust Phineas P. Pock—who may or may not be the same individual. It is unknown whether her poems are "fiction within a fiction" or are epitaphs of actual characters. Names referred to in the poems include:

Al. "Al was not scared to go out in the rain. Too bad that it was a Class 5 hurricane."

Charles. "In honor of poor Charles, we're having a wake. He died from eating too much birthday cake."

This character patented the Spectrecom, a device which enables one to "speak with the nearly departed." A Spectrecom can be found attached to the tomb of the poet Prudence Pock. The name R.H. Goff first appeared in 2011 at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion and is a tribute to Harper Goff, who produced the first concept drawing for a Disneyland haunted house in the 1950s.

"Lived and died a friendly bumpkin." One of the singing busts. A tribute to Imagineer Rolly Crump, who created the unused Museum of the Weird concept for the attraction. In 2011 at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion, an epitaphless tombstone with the name Rollo Rumkin debuted on the hillside adjacent to the queue.

For a brief time in May 2012, a monument with two headless busts was situated near the exit of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion. The inscription read: "These stately headstones represent two friends lost by accident. Side by side their heads repose. Where's the rest? No one knows."

"A train made a stain of absent-minded Uncle Blaine." A tribute to Imagineer Blaine Gibson, who sculpted the various characters of the attraction. The crypt made its debut in 2011 at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion.

This ghost character, voiced by Paul Frees, was featured in a 1969 radio spot for the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. In life, she was a Peoria socialite and silent movie vamp. In the radio spot, she is interviewed by a reporter who compliments her on her attire: a see-thru bell bottom bed sheet with big holes where her eyes used to be. When asked what she thinks of humans being let into the Haunted Mansion, she replies, "Well, they are kind of fun to watch, but all that yelling and screaming is spooky! Why, you'd think they'd never seen a ghost before."

This ghost character, played by a live performer, has been seen entertaining guests outside of the Haunted Mansion during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World. She is the sister of Carlotta.

This ghost character, played by a live performer, has been seen entertaining guests outside of the Haunted Mansion during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World. She is the sister of Renata, who killed her by pushing her off a balcony and onto a spiked fence because she thought her fiance was waving to her.

This minister character, played by a live performer, appeared in the dinner show at the 40th Anniversary event for the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. His name is a tribute to Ken Anderson's discarded "Bloodmere Manor" concept for the attraction from the 1950s.